Lighting fixture



April 1, 1941. K I 2,236,561

LIGHTING FIXTURE Filed Nov. 5, 1938 .INVENTOR. MORE/s BECK I BY l-h I ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 1, 1941 UNl'lED STATES PATENT OFFICE LIGHTING m'runr.

Morris B. Beck, Lawrence, N. Y. Application November 5, 1938, Serial No. 239,033

' Claims. (01. 240-78) This invention relates generally to lighting fixtures and more particularly to lightingeflxtures comprising shields or reflectors having portions thereof located in proximity to the light source of the fixture.

Where shields or reflectors have portions thereof positioned near the light source the heat given 011? from the light source is apt to be injurious to such shields or reflectors where they are made of certain materials, or injurious to the finish thereof. One result is frequently rapid deterioration of the parts so heated and particularly deterioration of their ornamental appearance which is of great importance in lighting fixtures. Such deterioration will occur particu. larly in organic materials such as parchment or parchment paper. Among other materials the use of which is at present limited for this reason may be mentioned certain of the modern synthetic plastic materials such as are available to day in great variety and are adapted for producing highly ornamental efiects at a cost lower than that of glass. Many of these are charred when positioned near an incandescent bulb for an appreciable length of time.

It is among the objects of my invention to provide a construction in a lighting fixture that will prevent overheating of the parts thereof and thereby permit the use of materials that are readily deteriorable when exposed to heat.

More particularly it is among the objects of my invention to provide a construction in a lighting fixture that will permit the use of heat deteriorable synthetic plastic materials for the shields or refiectors'thereof. It is also among the objects of my invention to provide a construction in a lighting fixture that will permit the use therein of larger sized bulbs than has heretofore been possible.

It is the general object of my invention to provide a lighting fixture that is simple in design and low in cost, and one that is adapted for a great variety of ornamental efiects.

These objects and such other objects as will hereinafter appear or be pointed out are attained in the illustrative embodiments of my invention shown in the drawing, in which- Figure 1 is, an elevational view of my improved lighting fixture, portions thereof being broken away so as to disclose constructional details; and

Figure 2 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of my improved lighting fixture.

Referring now to the drawing for a detailed disclosure of the illustrative embodiment of my invention shown herein, it will be observed that I show at II a socket adapted to receive'an incandescent bulb l2. The socket may be supported in any suitable or preferred manner, as by a stem l4 extending downwardly from the ceiling and serving to surround the wires by .which electricity isconducted into the socket and into the bulb.

Carried by the stem l4 and shown as surrounding-the socket I0 is shown a socket cover or husk IS, the mounting of which may be of any suitable or preferred type. By way of example I have shown a nut l8 threaded on the stem and serving to clamp the socket, cover l6 against the base of the socket III or a part associated therewith.

Dependent from the socket cover I6 is shown a system of louvers comprising an inner ring 20 an intermediate ring 22 and an outer ring 24, the latter being formed so that it will serve as the seat'for an annular shield 26. These louvers obstruct the passage of radiant heat from the bulb into the shield.

The mounting for the system of louvers is shown by way of example as comprising rods 28, having headed upper nds 29 that are adapted to engage in the bayonet slots 30 of the socket cover I 6, and having hooked lower ends 32 that are adapted to enter openings 34' in brackets 36 attached to the louvers 22. The louvers 20, 22 and 24 may be united in any suitable or preferred manner, such as by the spacing bolts 38 shown in the drawing.

It will be observed that the louvers are shown as spaced from each other as well as from the bulb l2 and that they are so contoured that the free circulation of air is permitted and thereby overheating of the bulb of the louvers and of the shield is prevented by air circulation as well as by the obstructive effect to heat radiation of the louvers.

In particular the outermost ring 24 that serves as a seat for the shield 26 is situated in a region of relatively low temperature, and thereby it is possible to make the shield 26 of material that might otherwise be damaged by the heat emitted by the bulb. For example the shield may be made of materials such as urea formaldehyde or parchment paper, to mention a few of the possibilitles, and these will last indefinitely without being affected by the heat from the bulb.

Another result is also the possibility of using larger sized bulbs in a given size of lighting fixture without the danger of overheating.

At II I have shown a baiile surrounding the upper neck portions of the lamp, this battle serving to shield the neck portions of the lamp from the direct view of an observer looking over the shield 28. The latter may be made of light diffusing material so as to transmit light while preventing glare.

It is within the contemplation of my invention that the thickness of the shield 28 be decreased radially outwardly so as not only to reduce the weight and yet provide strength where it is most needed but also, where the shield is translucent, that it be thicker adjacent the light source where the light is more intense and thinner at the more remote points where the light is less intense, so as to give as far as practicable an even degree of illumination to the outer or bottom surface of the shield. In other words the shield is made more dense to the light at those portions thereof that are nearer to the light. This variation in the thickness of the shield is particularly practicable where the shield is made of a material such as a synthetic plastic.

The louver system 2!, 22, 24 is shown as so arranged that while the circulation of air is permitted the bulb is shielded from direct view.

With the same end in view of eliminating glare, the bulb l2 may be frosted or it may be of the silvered bulb type in which the lamp is provided with an inwardly reflecting coating on its end portions, this coating serving to reflect the light that would normally pass downwardly in an upward direction.

It will be observed that my improved construction is adapted for lighting fixtures of various types, such as direct, indirect or semi-indirect, and the possibilities of producing novel ornamental and other efl'ects therein are greatly increased by the use thereof.

While I have herein described one illustrative embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that the same may be embodied in many other forms without departing from the spirit thereof, as will be obvious to those skilled in the art, and that the disclosure herein is by way of illustration merely, and is not to be interpreted in a limiting sense, and that I do not limit myself other than as called for by the language of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention and H- lustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A lighting fixture comprising a socket for receiving a bulb, a substantially horizontal heat deteriorable light shield, a frame for supporting the inner rim of said light shield, said frame having a central opening through which the bowl portion of a bulb mounted in the socket extends, and said frame comprising cylindrical members spaced from each other and from the bulb in a radial direction, so as to provide vertically unobstructed air spaces through which air can pass freely between said shield and said bulb from the lower side of the shield to its'up r side, and said cylindrical members having their surface portions disposed substantially transversely to the passage of radiations from the bulb to the shield whereby said light shield is protected from heat given off by the bulb.

louvers and a shield supported on said flange,

said shield being of heat deteriorable material and the space above said shield and said louvers being free of obstructions preventing the of air and light upward to the ceiling,

3. An indirect lighting fixture comprising a bulb of the silvered bowl type mounted base up, a heat deteriorable annular shield surroimdins said bulb and having an opening therein through which the silvered bowl of the bulb protrudes, thewallsofsaidbulbbeingspacedradiallyfmm the walls of said opening, and cylindrical louvers positioned within said space between said bulb and said shield, said louvers being coaxial with the vertical axis of the bulb and serving to permit air circulation and to shield the illuminated portions of the bulb from an observer positioned below the fixture and also to protect the shield against heat radiation from the bulb.

4. An indirect lighting flxture comprising a bulb of the silvered bowl type mounted base up, a dished heat deteriorable annular shield surrounding said bulb and having an opening therein through which the silvered bowl of the bulb protrudes, the walls of said bulb being spaced from the walls of said opening, cylindrical louvers positioned within said space between said bulb and said shield, said louvers being coaxial with the bulb and serving to permit the passage of air from below the iixture to above the flxture and to shield the illuminated portions of the bulb from an observer positioned below the flxture and also to protect the shield against heat radiation from the bulb, and an inverted conical baiiie surrounding the neck portion of the bulb, said annular shield being of light diffusing material.

5. An indirect lighting flxture comprising a socket for receiving a bulb, a dished annular light shield composed of heat deteriorable translucent material, a frame supporting the inner rim of said light shield, said frame having a central opening through which the bowl portion of a bulb mounted in the socket protrudes, and said frame comprising annular surfacw spaced from each other and from the bulb in a radial direction, so as to provide air spaces through which air can pass freely between said shield and said bulb from below the fixture to above the flxture, and said annular surfaces having their surface portions disposed substantially transversely to the passage of radiations from the bulb to the shield.

MORRIS B. BECK. 

